The electric patio heater is an important piece of equipment for your home, especially during the cold season. It provides your family with enough heat to keep them warm. Unfortunately, for a number of reasons, your patio electric heater can malfunction. If this happens then it is important to first understand the cause and then find the right solution. If you are the type of person who likes to try to fix things before calling a service person, we have provided some tips for troubleshooting your modern electric patio heater at home.

Damaged power cord
A damaged power cord may prevent power from entering the patio electric heater because the current cannot pass through the cord. Depending on the extent of the damage to the power cord, it can either be unpowered or intermittently powered. The latter situation is more worrying than the former as it can cause your outdoor electric patio heater to short circuit and overheat. If you see that the power cord is damaged, this may be the reason why the heater keeps tripping the circuit breaker. If the portable electric heater turns off and the breaker trips when plugged in, the power cord may be the problem. When the power cord is damaged or worn, there is a higher chance of sparks and smoke, which can lead to an electrical fire in your home. You should be happy that the circuit breaker tripped, because if it hadn't, serious damage could have been done.

Faulty socket
Sometimes, either due to loose wires or other electricity-related problems, wall outlets can malfunction. If the circuit breaker plugged into the heater has not tripped, the problem may be with the power outlet. Check that other equipment is working with the power outlet to make sure it is not the problem. If your house is too old, you should know that older homes sometimes cannot supply enough amperage from the outlet to provide enough power for an electric space heater. You should plug the electric garden heater into an outlet that is connected to another circuit breaker.

Tip-over switch not activated
If the flip switch on your freestanding electric patio heater is not activated, then it may stop your heater from working, even if it is plugged in. The flip switch is a safety feature on your portable electric heater that automatically turns off the power to the electric heater if it is accidentally knocked over. Because contact with the heater can cause a fire, the ability to immediately cut off power when it is knocked over is vital to your safety. When your portable electric heater moves sideways, you should hear the tip-over switch click. This will let you know that it is operating.

Bad thermostat
If your outdoor electric patio heater has a thermostat, check that it is set to the right temperature setting for the heater to turn on. If you want the heater to turn on, then you should turn the thermostat all the way up to the highest temperature. A thermostat on your patio electric heater that doesn’t operate properly can stop it from working. You need to check that the thermostat is set to the right temperature for the heater to turn on. To ensure that it turns on, set the thermostat to the highest temperature. If the thermostat has a dial or knob that needs to be turned, you should be able to hear the thermostat click whenever it turns past a certain temperature. This is a good indication that the thermostat is working properly.

Damaged heating element
If your electric patio heater is still not working, you should check that the heating element is working properly. The heating element is the component that converts electrical energy into heat. If the heating element does not work, the patio electric heater will not work properly. One way to test the heating element is to use a multimeter to check the resistance at both ends of the heating element. If you get a reading between 10 and 100 ohms, you should be good. Anything outside of this range means the heating element is damaged and your heater will not work.

These 5 electric patio heaters freestanding troubleshooting tips will help solve most heater problems. However, if the heater is still not working properly, a professional must be called. There may be faulty parts that need to be replaced and this must be done by a professional.